WAKEFIELD — The U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force reported Monday Wakefield police apprehended a fugitive at a convenience store in town, who was believed to have been hiding in Rochester

Paul Michael Skaltsis, 22, originally born in Dover, was reported as wanted by the U.S. Marshals office last Friday on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation stemming from a conviction for second-degree assault.

The task force believed Skaltsis, who they say has ties to local gangs in the area, may have been in Rochester because of his last known address, though they had little else to go on. They warned area residents not to approach him if found, claiming he had violent tendencies and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeffrey White said in cases like this, his organization counts on the public's assistance through the "Fugitive of the Week" program, where the U.S. Marshals reach out to several media outlets with a photo and description of a wanted suspect. Foster's Daily Democrat was among those local outlets contacted last week.

"In this particular case, every indication was (Skaltsis) was still going to be in the Rochester area," White explained, "but in this case, the callers all pointed us up to Wakefield and that's where he was found. It definitely worked out."

White said over the course of a few days, numerous callers phoned in stating they recognized the released photo.

"We had spoken to Wakefield police a couple times last week and they had a lot of information that he was up in Wakefield, and possibly living in Wakefield," he said. "From what I gather, a couple of officers went to a convenience store in town and actually saw him there."

Wakefield Police Lt. Mark O'Brien was unable to return calls before press time to confirm the details of the arrest though White said he believed officers found the suspect inside or near a gas station on White Mountain Highway. Skaltsis may have also been in a vehicle, though that information was not confirmed.

Skaltsis was reportedly sentenced to two to five years and released on parole in September 2011. A warrant was issued for his arrest in early July of this year when he failed to comply with the state Department of Corrections Parole Board's regulations.

According to the department, Skaltsis was charged with two counts of second-degree assault in Rochester in September 2008, as well as one count for rioting almost a year later, in 2009.

According to a recent press release, Skaltsis was scheduled to be transferred to the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord following his arrest on Monday.

The U.S. Marshals office report since its inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, local partnerships have resulted in more than 4,392 arrests. White said the program has worked out well for his department in this area.

"It definitely works," he said. "We get a lot of phone calls and nine times out of 10, people are right on, dead accurate. We wait for that information and we usually get our person."